UP government plans bigger crackdown on erring petrol pumps

Checking drives to be conducted at all 6,600 petrol pumps across Uttar Pradesh

Commuters queue up at a fuel station after the strike. Authorities have been instructed to seal only those units that have cheating chips instead of closing the entire fuel station. (Deepak Gupta/ HT Photo)

The state government has planned a bigger crackdown on petrol pump owners involved in cheating consumers by installing electronic chips in fuel dispensing units. As part of this, checking drives would be conducted at all 6,600 petrol pumps across UP.

UP Special Task Force (STF) officials on Tuesday demonstrated the entire mechanism to check the presence of cheating chips in fuel dispensing units during video conferencing held with all district police chiefs and district magistrates.

MECHANISM TO CHECK TAMPERING

The UP STF officials demonstrated the entire mechanism to check the presence of cheating chips in fuel dispensing units during video conferencing held with all district police chiefs and district magistrates.

Officials concerned were also explained the entire process of sealing erring petrol pumps and further course of action to be initiated in the matter.

He said the chief secretary directed authorities to seal only those dispensing units in which cheating chips or tampering was found and not the entire petrol pump, as complete closure may lead to shortage of fuel supply.

The conference was held in the presence of chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, director general of police Sulkhan Singh, principal secretary (home) Debashish Panda and joint secretary of union petroleum ministry Ashutosh Jindal.

“So far, the STF raids were confined only to Lucknow but a bigger crackdown is planned with the help of district authorities. District officials have been explained about the entire mechanism on how they can detect electronic chips and tampering in dispensing units,” said a senior official.

Officials concerned were also explained the entire process of sealing erring petrol pumps and further course of action to be initiated in the matter. He said the chief secretary directed authorities to seal only those dispensing units in which cheating chips or tampering was found and not the entire petrol pump, as complete closure may lead to shortage of fuel supply.

The official said Amit Pathak, SSP of STF, who had led the crackdown in the state capital, explained all the facts that he came across during the 17 raids conducted by his teams so far.

A detailed report over the entire action would also be sent to the union petroleum ministry. He said the chief secretary and the DGP also issued stern directives to district officials to check the malpractices at fuel stations.

The official said several other petrol pumps were likely to be raided across Uttar Pradesh after this video conferencing.